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The Top 10 Places to Visit in Lviv!

It is hard to some Lviv's best attractions into a short list of ten, but if you are there just for a few days and want to cram in some of the best sights in Ukraine, some of the best tourist attractions Lviv has to offer are below.

Walk along Lviv's historic cobbled stone streets and medieval side roads and you will probably bump into many historic monuments and sites. With its interesting mix of architectural style, incorporated by the various empires it was under, Lviv is one of the most regal cities in Eastern Europe and the tourist boom is just starting.

1. Rynok Square

   

   The Old City is centered on the Old Market Square called Rynok Square, established in the 14th century. The narrow cobbled streets around Rynok Square once housed the workshops of Lviv shoemakers, printers, chemists and numerous other tradesmen. Some of today's street names, for instance Virmen'ska (Armenian), Yevreyska (Jewish) or Serbska (Serbian) still remind visitors of the multicultural history of the city.

   There are some fantastic cafes and restaurants to sit in and watch the busy streets and of course shops; all at low Eastern European prices!

2. The Opera Theatre

   

   The former Grand Opera House sits proudly in Svobody Sq. and is able to seat 1000 people. The theatre was built in classical Viennese Pseudo-Renaissance style and really symbolizes Lviv city. Both the exterior and the interior, enhanced with many original works of art, project magnificence and splendour.

   Gaze for hours at its themed paintings, marble statues or visit its famous Hall of Mirrors.

   
   

3. The Maria Zankovetska Drama Theatre

   It is the oldest national theatre in Ukraine with a primarily national repertoire. It's a theatre with a high reputation and is renowned for its own traditions, forming part of Ukraine's history and culture. Address: 1, Lesya Ukrainka Street.

4. St George Cathedral

   Perhaps the most impressive Baroque Cathedral in all of Ukraine, St George Cathedral is currently the headquarters of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Its exterior is matched in beauty with its decorative interior. Wander down to the catacombs and visit the tombs of some of Ukraine's modern martyrs, such as that of Metropolitan Josyf Slipiy, who was exiled to Siberia by the Soviet Government after the Second World War due to his religious and nationalist beliefs.

5. The Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life

   It includes a number of miniature villages containing 15-20 architectural examples. It is a fascinating insight into the real life of Ukrainian people in 18-20th century. 1, Address: Chernecha Hora Street.

6. The Museum of Ethnography and Crafts

   A permanent exhibition covers the subjects of material and spiritual culture of Ukrainian people: household occupations, folk artistic trades, interiors of folk dwelling of Ukraine. Address: 15, Svobody Avenue.

7. The Lviv Historic Museum

   The museum includes more than 270,000 exhibits covering the history of Western Ukraine and its inhabitants from prehistoric times to the present. Address: 4, 6, 24, Rynok Square.

8. Lviv Art Gallery

   It is the biggest Art Museum in Ukraine. Includes works from the Middle Ages to the present. The total collection numbers over fifty thousand. 3, Stephanyka Street.

9. Castle Hill Park

   The High Castle - this is the name of the highest hill, which rises above Lviv. This site was chosen by Halychyna princes to build a fortress and today at the summit there is an observation terrace from which one can get a panoramic view of the whole city.

10. Lychakiv Cemetery

    The cemetery covers 40 hectares (about 110 acres) and since 1991 it has formed a state-sanctioned historical-artistic reserve. It is one of the oldest graves in Europe, dating back to the 1500's, and has been described more as a sculpture garden than a cemetery due to the ornate monuments, tombs and sarcophagi within its grounds. Many graves contain the remains of famous Ukrainians such as the poet Ivan Franko, eminent Poles such as the authors G.Zapolska and M.Konopnicka) and Austrians. A large number of Ukrainians prominent in the fields of academia, politics and art have also found their final resting place here.